I’m fascinated by kids who play instruments and whose parents never did. I’m fascinated that my mother and father who never played a record in our house, or took us to see live music, except for a symphony once (and that’s a story for another day) birthed someone whose life revolves around it so much. …and whose life has been a wreck when music wasn’t a central theme.
I always knew I’d play music. My brother never had that thought. He thought he’d try the cornet in middle school and he stuck it out for a couple of years. But it didn’t speak to him the way music spoke to me.
Both he and his wife, by their own admission, would not describe themselves as musical. And yet they have these kids who love to play music. Lizzie, age 15 and my namesake, plays the flute and loves it – the flute itself, the practicing, going to lessons, playing in the band at school. She LOVES it. And she loves her teacher which is an amazing gift in itself.
Emily, age 12, plays the saxophone and is extremely skilled at it, but doesn’t pick it up at home to practice. She plays in the band at school and because she’s so talented, can get away with it. It doesn’t speak to her. She’s been hankering to play the guitar and I’ve been encouraging her Dad and my sister in law, Jen, to put one in her hands. Once they do, I have no doubt she’ll be practicing all the time because she’ll be excited to. And motivated. And no doubt, she’ll excel at it. All her musicality will just transfer onto the guitar, like a duck to water. She’ll just need to adjust to a different pond.
Christopher, is just ten and is learning to play the clarinet. The elementary school band needed a bass clarinet so asked him if he’d rise to the challenge, and he said yes. Not only is he enjoying it, but it’s BIG. He likes that.
Erin, the youngest, is eight, and sees all these different instruments coming in and out of the house. She hears them honking and tooting on a regular basis. I wonder if she thinks, “I like that. I don’t like that. I’d like to play that. I’d hate to play that…” As she’s about to turn nine this week, I’ve been wondering what instrument will call out to her. Perhaps the saxophone that her sister, Emily, doesn’t want to play anymore, or something different. Something that separates her from the rest of the bunch.
I hope she knows that she’s musical already. I hope that when it’s time for her to be old enough to be in the school band, she’ll know clearly which instrument she wants to play, and doesn’t. That’s just as important, if not more so……. Who would want to play the trombone when it’s the harp that speaking to you? Who wants to play in the band when it’s a cello that is really appealing? Who wants to play anything melodic when it’s the drum line, and pounding out the beats on all kinds of loud, round things, that makes your heart race?
And maybe there won’t be an instrument that calls her name. Time will tell. I just hope for her that she knows the music is inside her. Now. When she’s older. When she’s 30 and 55 and 70. Always.
Happy Birthday, Erin!
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